Research Methods and

Critical Thinking
Session 1

Marcos LIMA, PhD

Associate Professor, EMLV
limamarcos@gmail.com
 Welcome!
 Session 1
 What this course is about
• Who I am; your expectations; my expectations;
• Course objectives and assessment
 What is Research?
• How? Why?
 Your Dissertation
• Skema guidelines
• Structure
 Research Planning
• Stages

2
 Who I Am
Marcos Lima, PhD
 Brazilian, lived and studied in
• Brazil (Federal University of Bahia),
• US (St. Paul Academy, Michigan State University),
• Austria (Universität Klagenfurt)
 Worked for
• Bosch (Germany)
• FIEB / SECTI / Clicom (Brazil)
• Amadeus (France)
 Research interests include
• Innovation, Marketing and Knowledge Management
3
 Brainstorming:
Your Expectations
+ -
https://goo.gl/rwECEl

4
 What we expect from you

 You should be…

 PARTICIPATIVE
 ASSIDUOUS & ON TIME
 CURIOUS

5
 What we expect from you
Reading
 Saunders, Mark N.K., Adrian Thornhill, and Philip Lewis.
2009. Research Methods for Business Students. 5th ed.
Prentice Hall.

6
 What we expect from you
Dissertation
Guidelines

http://knowledge.skema.edu/main/docume
nt/document.php?cidReq=MSCDISSERTA
TION

7
 Individual Assessment
Research Proposal

 Problem Statement
 Conceptual Framework
for Literature Review
 Methodology

8
 Individual Assessment
Research Proposal
 Use the GOOGLE DRIVE form
below to submit your proposal:
https://goo.gl/ly3UQv

9
 Course Structure
Parts Content Saunders Chpt
1
#1 -Introduction to Research Methods
-“What is academic research” workshop
-Formulating the research topic

#2 -Research topic workshop

-Clarifying the topic: research question(s)
3

-Determining relevance: objectives

-Question & Objectives workshop
-Structuring your dissertation: creating the “funnel”
-Dissertation structure workshop
-Critically reviewing the literature

#3 -Literature Review workshop

-Research Philosophy and Methodology
4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11,
12, 13

-Methodology Workshop

#4 -Research Proposal Workshop 2

10
 In this First Part…
You will learn how to
 transform ideas into
research topics
 develop topics into
research questions
 attribute relevance to your
questions by specifying
objectives

11
 Brainstorming

What is
RESEARCH?
What is METHOD?
 Half the class will discuss the concept of
research with the colleague sitting next to you;
the other half will discuss the concept of
method (you have 5 min)
• Find a definition and give concrete examples
12
 Brainstorming
 What is RESEARCH?
 Interest
 Process
 Formal
 Solve
 Analysis / Synthesis
 Conclusion
 Data / Information
 Putting knowledge in practice

13
 Brainstorming
What is METHOD?
 Plan
 Procedure
 Structure
 Way / Work
 How you accomplish a task
 Empirical
 Applied / Respected
 Systematic
14
 What is research?
Research is…
 something we undertake in order to
increase existing knowledge by
• describing
Difficulty

• analysing
• criticising
• understanding
• explaining
 a problem in a systematic way.

15
 What is research?

What Research IS NOT

 A list of aimless and
incoherent facts or
information
• BEWARE OF
PATCHWORK!
 Explaining your own ideas
 Copying and pasting!

16
 A Few Characteristics
Scientific research is different
from common sense because it
 is done to achieve specific goals;
 contributes to increase knowledge
on a particular topic

 relies on specific methods;

 It applies specific CONCEPTS!
17
 What is Method?
Etymolonline.com
 method
• 1540s, from M.Fr. methode,
from L. methodus "way of
teaching or going,"
• from Gk. methodus "scientific
inquiry",
• originally "pursuit, following
after,"
• from meta- "after" (see meta-)
+ hodos "a traveling, way"
18
 What is a Professional Thesis?
An investigation on a
management issue
 from both theoretical and
practical perspectives
 Using both primary and
secondary data
Using scientific research
methods

Source: adapted from Corinne POROLI

19
 What is a Professional Thesis?
A non-linear process
 you are going to make
feedbacks all along your
work (between theory and
practice, for example)
A non-descriptive work:
 an analytic and
well-argued work.

Source: adapted from Corinne POROLI

20
 Why research methods?
Watch this on-line video at
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2aDpvU2qtY

21
 Why research methods?
 To develop your critical and
creative skills – writing is
thinking!!!
 To use it as a management tool
in
 Managing
 Planning
 Policy making
 Other applications:
 To understand research reports
 To conduct consulting projects
 To be an informed consumer of
research
22
 Types of research

Saunders
23 et al (2009)
 3 Kinds of Business
Research Projects
In-company focused projects

Generic, industry-based projects

Library projects

24
 3 Kinds of Business
Research Projects

Source:
25 Jankowicz (2005), p. 4
 Internship as Opportunity
for Research

A few tips:
 Use existing contacts
 Use non-threatening language
 Offer a report of the outcomes

26
 Success factors of
a Research Report
 Efficient time management
 A clearly defined topic / research question
 Clearly defined objectives
 Balanced use of evidence/data (from the literature
and from your own field work)
 A sound method
 A critical analysis of results
 Relevant and applicable conclusions

27
 How to acquire these skills?
By observing
 Download and skim
through other
DISSERTATIONS!!!
By doing
 Try to build your
arguments / structure
like the ones you see in
the articles you will
find!
28
 The Research Cycle
Final
 Synthesis
(Conclusions and
Perspectives)

Problem Empirical
 Definition  Validation
(Knowlege gap) (Methodology/
Experimentation/
Analysis /
Findings)

(Critical Literature
Review)
Theoretical
 Argumentation

29
 From the Idea to the Topic,
From the Topic to the Question
From the Question to the
Objectives
 The process of
formulating and
clarifying the
research question(s)
and objective(s) is the
most important part
of the research
project!

31
 Basic criteria for topic selection
You need to assess:
 Complexity and difficulty
 Access
 Facilities and resources
 Expertise
 Originality or novelty
 Interest
(yours, supervisor, sponsor)
32
 Attributes of a good research topic
…nor
Neithertoo
toonarrow
broad…

 The decision
history oftocommercial
lengthen the
aviation
wingtips on the DC3
prototype for military use as a cargo carrier

33
 Attributes of a good research topic
Capability: is it feasible?
 Is the topic something with which
you are really fascinated?
 Do you have, or can you develop
within the project time frame, the
necessary research skills to
undertake the project?
 Is the research topic achievable
within the available time?
Saunders et al. Research Methods for Business Students
4th ed. (2007) Prentice Hall p.22
34
 Attributes of a good research topic
 Appropriateness:
is it worthwhile?
 Does the topic fit the specifications
and meet the standards set by the
examining institution?
 Does your research topic contain
issues that have a clear link to
theory?
 Are you able to state your research
question(s) and objective(s)
clearly? Saunders et al. Research Methods for
Business Students 4th ed. (2007)
35 Prentice Hall p.22
 Attributes of a good research topic
Watch this video on-line:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtlkQDDuJNk

36
 The Provenance Table

AREA Key Word 1 Key Word 2 Key Word 3

(FIELD) (CONCEPT) (INDUSTRY/
SEGMENT)

TOPIC

37
 ‘Topic Formulation’
Workshop
Work individually
 Based on the examples we’ve
just seen, try to create a table of
provenance for YOUR project
After 5 minutes, form pairs
 Explain your topic to your pair
 Volunteers will be asked to share their
topic with the rest of the class

38
 Finding your Research Questions

Basic Literature
Provenance
Research Idea

Table of
Research Questions

Web Sources Refereed

Journals
Google it!
Magazines/
Newspapers Book
chapters
Textbooks

39
 Finding Your Research Question
Before you ask your question(s)
 Break down your topic into its basic key words and
make sure you have enough literature background
• No literature? Wrong key words.

Literature 1 Literature 2

Literature 3
Your Research Question
40
 Determining your Objectives
Objectives answer the ‘So what?’ issue!
 Significance / importance / relevance of your question to
• your reader(s)
• your organisation
• your industry
• the scientific world
 Usually
broader
than the
question

41
 Research Problem Statement
1) I am studying / working on
 TOPIC
2) because I want to find out 1. Topic

who / what / when / where /

why / how / whether
2.
 QUESTION Question(s)
3) in order to help my reader
understand how / why / 3.
whether Objective(s)

 OBJECTIVE

42 Source: adapted from Booth, Colomb & Williams, 2008.

 ‘Research Question &
Objectives’ Workshop
 Based on the key words from your
topic… 1. Topic

 Determine the question(s) you will

focus on
 Establish your objective(s) 2.
Question(s)
 After 10 minutes…
 Get in pairs; share your question and 3.
objectives with each other Objective(s)
 Volunteers will be asked to share with
the rest of the class
43
Thank You for Your Attention!
limamarcos@gmail.com